Car-signal



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

I P. NICHOLSON.

GAR SIGNAL Patented Sept. 4, 189'4.

III;

Wilgesscs UNITED STATES PATENT OF CE.

FRANK NICHOLSON, OF OAKFIELD, NElV YORK.

CAR-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 525,357, datedSeptember 4, 1894.

Application filed March 26,1894. Serial No- 505,159. (No model.)

To 00% whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK NICHOLSON, a citizen of the United States,residing atOakfield, in the county of Genesee and. State of New York,have invented a new and useful Improvement-in Signal-Lights for Railway-Oars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in those signal lights which' areprovided with revoluble shields, whereby the light is made to flash asthe train proceeds; and the principal feature of the invention lies-incertain through the medium of which the efficacyof appliance isincreased; and all of these features will be more fully describedhereinafter and finally embodied in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 2 5 represents a perspective viewof a portion of view of the means for driving the revolving.

a freight-train caboose having my improve; ments applied and shown withthe roof broken away. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken through thelanterns. Fig. 3 is a sectional light shields, the said means beingshown detached from the companion parts. Fig. 4 is a perspective view ofthelight shield. Fig.

5 is a horizontal section taken through the lanterns. Fig. 6 is aperspective of the bullseye frame and the m'eans for operating it, saiddevice being detached from the remaining /parts. Fig. 7 is a viewshowing the mode of operation which attends the bulls-eye frame.

0 Fig.8 is a detail of the lens-frame lever.

The referencenumeral 1 indicates the body of thecar, which is here shownas a freighttrain caboose, since my invention is best adapted for use onthis class of car, though it may obviously be used in other relations.

2 indicates the car axles, and these are mounted on the usual wheels andattended by the trucks, as shown, all of which is well understood. ,1

My improvements will be arranged at each end of thecar, and since thiswill be under- The pulley 5 is flanged'and adapted I over which itpasses, as shown, and by which the'mo'tion of the axle is transferred totheshaft 4.

Fulcrumed on the pin 8 of the bottom of the car is the hand-lever 9, andthis passes up I vertically through the slot 10 in the car bottom, sothat it may be easily reached by the occupants of the car. The lower endof lever 9 projects down to'a point near the level of the axle 2, and isthere connected to the'wire or cord 11, which proceeds toward the middleof the car for a short distance and is connected to the swinging frame12. Frame'12 consists of two parallel and vertical bars pivotedto thetransverse rod 13, and depending downwardly to a point just above theaxle,- where they are joined to the roller 14, a crossbar 15 beingconnected to ythem above the roller 14 and to=which the wire or cord 11is attached.

The roller 14 is arranged in the path of the belt 7, and when movedoutwardly, with frame 12, will engage said beltand draw it taut,-

which will cause it to positively engage pulley 5 and axle 2, andcommunicate motion from one to anotheiythe belt being normally slackenough to allow the axle movementindependi 7 ent. of the pulley 5. Thusthe mechanism may be operated at will, and in order to keept-he-belt atthe proper tension, I providethe pawl-and-ratchet mechanism 16, wherebythe lever, 9 maybe held with the roller'lt engaged with the belt 7.- 1

"Arranged in each corner of' the'car, and

just'to one side of the friction pinions 6, are

the vertical shafts 17, which a're'duplicates of each other, and mountedin the cup-shaped bearings 40 supported by yokes 18 and inthe horizontalplatforms 19. The bearings 40 and platforms 19 are one for each of theshafts 17, and'the bearings are provided with springs 39 which givethem, and consequently the shafts 17, a tendency upward. This tendencyis overcome by the set-screws 41, of arms 42, and the shafts forceddownward to engage the gears 6 and 20. By raising screws 41, the shaftswith which they operate will move up, disengage gears 6 and 20, andcause the shield 24 to stop operating. Fixed to the lower end of each ofthe shafts 17, just above the yokes 18, are the friction disks 20, whichproject out so that their lower peripheries will engage with theperiphery proper of the gears 6, and whereby the movements of the shaft4 are transmitted to the shafts 17.

The platforms 19 are located in the upper corners of the car and aresupported by brackets 21, a space being leftbetween them and thecar-roof which will be suflicient for the reception of the lanternmechanism. This consists principally of the lanterns 22 removably yetrigidly secured in the sockets 23,

which are in turn immovably secured to the upper surface of theplatforms 19, and which may be of any preferred construction. The upperends of shafts 17 project above the platforms 19 and are provided withthe light shields 24, which consist of the circular metallic plates 25,secured at their centers to the shafts and provided at their peripherieswith the shields proper or wings 26. The wings 26 project down to theupper surface of the platforms 1 and are of a size equal to aboutone-third of the circumference of the disks or plates 25. These wingsare adapted to move in a circular path around the lanterns 22, and toalternately cover and uncover the light at a predetermined point.

27 indicates a vertically-extending bullseye frame, which is curved inthe arc of acircle and adapted to lie just within the wing 26. Thisframe is rigidly secured to the arm 28,

l which extends inwardly to the spindle 29, to

which it is pivotally connected. The spindle 29 is rigidly secured tothe platform 19, and at a point about midwaythe radius of the circledescribed by the plates 25, so that the frame 27 will swing in an arc ofa circle having a radius, andconsequent circumference, of one-half thatof plate 25, and this for a reason which will hereinafter appear. Themovements of frame 27 are limited by the arms 40 of the sockets 23.

Pivotally connected to the spindle 29, and projecting outwardlytherefrom, is the arm 30, which extends through a horizontallyelongatedslot 31 in the frame 27, and projects a distance beyond the same, whichwill make it possible for the wings 26 to engage with its ends as thewings travel in their characteristic line of movement. Revolubly mountedin the outer ends of the arms 30 are the friction-rollers 32, which areprovided for engagement with the wings 26, whereby the wear upon thewings, which would otherwise result, is avoided.

Connected to each side of arm 30, and extending outwardly and inwardlytherefrom, are the springs 33, which are two in number and which areemployed to give the arm a normal tendency in a line parallel with thelongitudinal disposition of the car. The slot 31 is of such a lengththat it will permit the arm 30 a short independent movement therein, andwhen the arm exceeds the limits of the slot 31 it will bind against itsends and cause the frame 27 to swing with it. Thus, as the arm 30 isengaged by the wing 26, when swinging under the influence of the carsmovement's, it will be swung, say to the left, and, after traversing thelimit of slot 31, will positively engage the frame 27, and cause it tomove with the arm, until the arm, swinging in a circle smaller than thatwhich attends the wing 26, passes out the domain of the wing and returnsunder the influence of its spring 33.

Located in theframe 27 are the bulls-eyes, or lenses 34, which arepreferably two in number, and which are formed of difierently-coloredglass. These lenses are so arranged on the frame 27 that they will be inturn in longitudinal alignment with their respective lanterns 22, whenthe frame 27 has been moved by the arm 30 and wing 26. Thus,supposingthat it is desired to display a red light from the rear end of thetrain, and that theend of the car here shown is the rear end,the eye inthe right-hand end of the frame will be provided with a red lens, sothat the wing 26, on

its attached disk, revolves from right to left it will, at eachrevolutiomengage arm 30 and keep frame 27 in the proper position. Whenthe car moves in an opposite direction the movement of wing 26 will bechanged, so as to engage arm 30 and throw frame 27 in a position whichwill put the left-hand light in showing position, and this may be green,or any other color, which the system of railroad signaling employed maycall for.

The arrangement and color of the signal, is, of course, immaterial tothis invention,since they may be varied, and will, in practice, he aconstantly varied to suit the conditions under which it is used. Formedin the rear end terns, are also formed with openings 36 there:

in, and these are covered with the semi-circular shields 37, throughwhich the light of the lanterns 22 may pass, subject, of course, to theWing 26. I

In operation, the lanterns are lighted, and the parts adjusted,asexplained,and theframe 27 equipped with properly-covered lenses.

As the car starts the lever 9 is moved to cause belt 7 to positivelyengage the devices over which it travels. This will set shafts 17 to revolving, and they will be followed by a corre-' sponding revolution ofthe light-shields 24, and a consequent and alternate covering anduncovering of the lights through the lenses of frames 27. As the shields24 revolve, their wings 26 will engage .the respective; arms 30, andcause the frame 27 to be adjusted so as to put the proper lens inlongitudinal alignment with the lanterns.

It will be understood that the lenses of frame 27 are so arranged thatthe color of the signal which it is desired to throw behind the trainwill be that of the lens which is so located in the frame 27 that itwill be put in longitudinal alignment with the lantern ac cording to theway in which the forward movement of the car causes the frame 24 torotate. Hence, supposing red to be the signal in question; the red lenswill be put in alignment with the lantern as the car moves in thedirection of the arrow at, of Fig. 1, and, when the car moves in thedirection of arrow b, this will be reversed and, say the green, lightwill be displayed in its stead. As the shield 24 revolves it alternatelycovers and uncovers the lens of frame 27 which is aligned with thelantern, and the wings 26 of such shield are disposed oppositely, sothat one of the lenses will be always exposed. By means of the shields37 the light of the lanterns will be allowed to shine laterally, andowing to its semi-circular shape, thetrain hands forward can see whetherthe caboose and, consequently the train, is in place. The lenses offrame 27 are arranged in the grooves 38, and removably so that they canbe changed when the re quirements of different systems of signalingnecessitate. o

It will be understood that the two lights with which the car is equippedshine alternately, and that the shield 26 of one light covers thesamewhile the corresponding shield ofthe remaining lightis arranged forwardthereof,

so as to permit the same to shine rearwardly.

The shining of the light occurs whenever the shields are in position topermit it. It will be understood that the function of the bulls eyeframe is not to hide inany way-the shining of the lights, but to, changethe color thereof by changing the location of its lenses. Thus, as theshield 26 revolves, when the car is moving forwardly, the bulls eyeframe will be held in one position and not reversed until thedirect-ion'in which the car is moving is changed; it will then bereversed to change the color of the light.

By regulating the gearing which. operates shields 24, the exact numberof revolutions which will be given it by the varying speed of the trainscan be ascertained. Thus, by counting the number of flashes, the handsof a rearwardly located train cantell the speed at which the train aheadis moving. In orderv that'the train hands ahead of the caboose can tellwhether it ,is in place by the light through the shield 37, it may benecessary to move the lanterns and their attending is not thoughtnecessary to show it in the drawings.

4 parts outwardly and partially into the shields, but since sucharrangement is apparent, it

Y Having described my invention, what I claim is' i 1.. A flash signalfor railway cars, and c omin the. path of the shield and capable ofmoving in a limited circular path, and an arm adapted to be engaged bythe shield and pivoted to swing in a circle smaller than that of theshield and having a connection with the bulls-eye frame, whereby thesaid frame, upon engagement with the shield, is madeto move. so as toplace one of its lenses in position to show, and, when engaged by theshield when moving in an opposite direction, to place a second lens inposition to show, substantially as described.

2. A flash signal for railway cars, and consisting of a shaft connectedwith the car-axle and adapted to revolve in opposite directions ismoving, a screen on the shaft and revolv- 'ing therewith a lanternlocated adjacentto the shaft, and a bulls-eye frame having two or morelenses therein and capable of being movedto display either of saidlenses, the said movements being effected by engagement with the screenof the shaft, whereby the bulls-eye frame is moved to display one lenswhen the screen is moving in one direction and to display a, differentlens when the screen is moving in a second direction, substantially asdescribed.

3. A flash signal for railway cars,-and consisting of a shaft connectedto the car-axle and adapted to revolve in opposite directions accordingto the direction in which the car is moving, a light-shield connected toand revolving with the shaft, a lantern located within the path of theshield so that its light may .i I 5 be cut off thereby, and a bulls-eyeframe located adjacent to the lantern and having two or more lensestherein, the frame being car pable of being moved to display either ofthe lenses, and adapted to be engaged by 'the light-shield and to becaused to show one vlens when the shieldis moving in one direction and adifferent lens when the shield is overcome and thegears made to engage,a

lanterm and a shield on the shaft and oper- In testimony that .I claimthe foregoin gas ating to move around the lantern, the shaft my own Ihave hereto aflixed my signature in being capable, upon the removal ofthe the presence of two witnesses.

set-screw, of raising so as to disengage the FRANK NICHOLSON. 5 frictiondisks, whereby the movements of Witnesses:

the shield are stopped, substantially as de- RE. OHAPIN,

scribed. W. W. STEVENS.

